For the past eight years, the Norton City School District has been rated Excellent by the Ohio Department of Education, and for three of the past four years, it has been Excellent With Distinction, Superintendent David Dunn noted at the Board of Education’s March 18 meeting, in his comments regarding the district’s 2011-12 report card.

“For the second year in a row, we met every standard for every school in the district,” said Dunn. “It’s really about the community, our students and our staff putting together a culture that cares for students.”

Also at the meeting, the board heard from Spanish teacher Gladys Anderson, regarding the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program she started in her classes at the beginning of this school year, along with fellow Spanish teacher Amy Olivieri.

In their classrooms, students whose parents have signed permission slips are allowed to use electronic devices every day, and most bring their own, according to Anderson.

Anderson said she brings her personal laptop computer, NOOK, stylus, iPad mini, iPad and smartphone to class for students’ use.

“We’ve shown our kids how we are committed to making them 21st-century learners,” she added.

Students work online along with their teachers, she said, using flashcards and taking quizzes, for example.

Anderson told the board she would be taking all of her devices and giving a presentation on the BYOD program at NEOtech (Northeast Ohio Network for Educational Technology) at Kent State University March 19.

In other business, the board approved a number of three-year contracts for existing administrators, effective Aug. 1 through July 31, 2016.

Students of the month for March recognized at the meeting included Jakob Lee for Grill Elementary School, Nicholas Dobben for NMS and Jay Ventura for NHS.

Also, the board agreed to a request from Keith Easterling, T-ball commissioner for the Norton Baseball Association, to remove and rebuild field boxes at the playing field at Grill.

Easterling said he and his brother plan to rebuild the boxes at no cost to the district.

Easterling said they hope to get to the project this week, if weather permits.

T-ball season starts the first week in April, he added.

In other action, the board approved:

an overnight trip for basketball camp for boys in ninth through 12th grades to be held June 16-18 in Sherrodsville;

permission to advertise for bids for roof replacements for the NHS small gym, NHS business lab classrooms and Norton Primary’s entrance overhead;

permission to advertise for bids for asphalt recoating and striping of district parking lots;

participation in the 2013-14 Ohio Schools Council Cooperative school bus chassis and body purchasing program at a cost of $325;

a resolution to purchase property at 3806 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road (parcel #46-04150), which is being offered by public auction, at a cost up to $250,000; and

a donation of two Califone Document cameras, valued at $335 each for Grill, donated by PATHS.

The next Committee-of-the-Whole meeting is set for April 8 at 6 p.m. at the Administration Building, 4128 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, and the next regular school board meeting is set for April 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the NHS Media Center, 4108 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road.